It is quite clear from the disruption that has occurred in the technology industry in the last 10 years that corporates have more competitors that they had a decade ago. With the emergence E-Commerce, Social Networking, Smartphones, Wearable Technology, and 3D Printing right before my eyes. I can envision a future that will be vastly different, A future of where the gap between the ‘digital’ and the ‘human’ will be far less than it is today. Thus corporates have to upgrade their ‘mindset’ not just their infrastructure.

In order for a person to be able to express themselves creatively within any given domain. Let it be UI/UX, Branding, Advertising Campaigns, Software Development, or even Management Consulting. Primarily, the creative activation must occur at an intellectual/spiritual level or Aqli/Roohani level this is where the natural talent comes from, it is something intrinsic or innate. Secondarily, the individual spends his time mastering the technical skills via a proper education if they have opportunity depending on interests and financial background of the particular family and social stature they belong to. I must emphasise that this is as equally important as project experience and academic background. You can look up Steve Job’s example when he went to India to learn about Buddhism, this is where the Minimalistic visual approach is speculated to come from.

Approaching projects from a solution oriented mindset is something that comes from an individuals cognitive style and personality. Being helpful, or caring by nature, or having feelings to make the world a better place can be also be drivers or motivating factors for people who have strong beliefs in the afterlife. When a person believes he or she will be held responsible or accountable for everything that they do, this can maximise their output and boost their morale. This comes under the category of intrinsic motivation. Some people can be motivated by factors such as extrinsic factors such as fame or financial success.

But in a corporate world it all boils down to what can Sr. Management do to optimise creativity in a group or team?

Here are some of the things i can recommend that will maximise creative output at an enterprise level. (Scope, Resources, Time & Autonomy)

A. Scope

One of the most important things management can do is to define a proper and clear scope or goals of the project. Letting the team members know what they are suppose to do is really important if you look at things from an ‘task designation’ or ‘briefing’ perspective. This gives a sense of control and ownership to the employee, subconsciously activating a feeling of power, that drives people to reach for accomplishment. Thus for the accomplishment to occur, it must primarily be clear to the employee, what the project objectives are.

B. Resources

Individuals also need the proper resources to accomplish project tasks. Some people who are starved of resources, actually become even more creative when they are given very little to start with. However it is highly critical that individual members of the team have the necessary information, funding, hardware, and software to do their work. These factors cannot be ignored. Employees must be picked out for their proven ability to be able to work hard. I know it sounds debatable, but it is a very important ingredient of creativity. You have to be able to persevere, sometimes under extreme difficulty. Past portfolio of work is a proven example of what the capabilities of an individual are, provided the portfolio is genuine.

C. Time

Creative work requires time, so it is imperative for management professionals to understand that adequate time is given for a tasks to be finished. Deadlines can scare away or eat up the creativity of in-experienced person. On the contrary, a lot of designers are fuelled by adrenaline (including myself), and can put out a lot of creative work under a very tight deadline. However, this can result in a burnout in the long run, if designers are not given time to rest, and re-charge their creativity.

D. Autonomy

This is something that is generally overlooked in the M.E.N.A Region. Employee’s extra-curricular activities have a great impact on their work output. What they do outside their work time effects their creativity and innovation, especially their social circle. What they think about, their passions and hobbies, are quite reflective by their social media accounts.